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In a report coinciding with a new guide for public health funerals in Hull, the council's customer services manager, Lisa Buttery, said: "The city council must provide a public health funeral for those that die in the Hull area, in the community or at any hospital premises if it appears that no suitable arrangements are being made.

"A basic funeral is arranged with a funeral director with the utmost dignity and respect for the deceased.

"Bereavement officers will provide a short service prior to disposal taking place."

The upward trend over the past few years in the number of public health funerals in Hull mirrors a national increase.

But it is also causing the council an increasing financial headache.

At a recent scrutiny meeting, councillors heard that last year the authority spent £28,403 on public health funerals but only managed to recoup £13,222 from the estates of the deceased.

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Mrs Buttery said: "Bereavement services will continue to make every attempt to recover costs from the deceased estate wherever possible."

A spokesman for the National Association of Funeral Directors said: "One of the saddest aspects of public health funerals is that the individual who has died is often not only without money, but without mourners too.”

He said funeral directors sometimes advertised for mourners to ensure someone was there to pay their last respects.